Vishal  Menon

Vishal Menon

Author

Vishal has been a writer and a critic for over 10 years. He writes predominantly about Malayalam and Tamil cinema.

MORE FROM VISHAL MENON

A still from 'Pharma'
Streaming

'Pharma' Series Review: Earnest Nivin Pauly In A Medico-Thriller That Requires Patience

As clunky as the making might seem, 'Pharma' works best as a fairly engaging second-screen experience.

BY Vishal Menon
A still from 'Bha Bha Ba'
Theatrical

'Bha Bha Ba' Movie Review: Dileep’s Mass Action Comeback Is Absolute Gibberish

In its effort to create a film that tries to be wild, we’re left feeling like we’re watching gibberish on screen.

BY Vishal Menon
A still from 'Kalamkaval'
Theatrical

'Kalamkaval' Movie Review: Mammootty Like Never Before In This Genre-Defining Thriller

Vinayakan is surely the film’s driving force, but Mammootty also shows us a side to him that we haven’t yet witnessed before

BY Vishal Menon
A still from 'Stephen'
Streaming

'Stephen' Movie Review: Explosive Ideas In This Uneven Serial Killer Origin Story

This experiment never devolves into a mere indulgence and director Mithun maintains control over his complex material, even when it looks like it’s slipping away

BY Vishal Menon
Bahul Ramesh and a still from 'Eko'
Interviews

'Eko' Explained: Bahul Ramesh Deconstructs the Layers of His Hit Thriller (Spoilers Ahead)

Bahul Ramesh, the writer-cinematographer of the Malayalam mystery thriller 'Eko,' explains the hidden meanings and secrets of the third film in his Animal Trilogy.

BY Vishal Menon
Keerthy Suresh in 'Revolver Rita'
Theatrical

'Revolver Rita' Movie Review: A Lazy Comedy That Comes 15 Years Too Late

'Revolver Rita', in all fairness, appears to be a film that was found in one of the old Seagate hard disks of a gone era.

BY Vishal Menon
Victoria
Theatrical

'Victoria' Movie Review: Meenakshi Jayan's Rock-Solid Performance Anchors This Moving Sisterhood Drama 

Written and directed by Sivaranjini, 'Victoria' is a moving drama, peppered with humour.

BY Vishal Menon
Posters of Mankatha, Yennai Arindhaal, Kadhal Kottai, Vaalee, and Dheena.
Insight

Ajith Kumar's Journey in Milestones: Five Of His Most Memorable Performances

These five key performances turned Ajith Kumar into one of Indian cinema’s most enduring stars.

BY Vishal Menon
Prithviraj in 'Vilayath Buddha'
Theatrical

'Vilayath Buddha' Movie Review: One Too Many Subplots In Prithviraj’s Shaky Mess

With too many narrative tracks overstaying their welcome, 'Vilayath Buddha' never quite manages to achieve the lived-in feeling of the world Indugopan created with his two previous films

BY Vishal Menon
Mammootty in 'Kalamkaval' 
Interviews

Exclusive| Behind The Anatomy Of Mammootty’s Viral “Evil” Expression In 'Kalamkaval'

Jithin K Jose, the first-time director of Mammootty’s new serial killer thriller, decodes the notes that went into creating the shot that became instantly iconic.

BY Vishal Menon
A still from 'Kaantha'
Theatrical

'Kaantha' Movie Review: Dulquer Salmaan Is Arresting In This Meta Masterpiece

'Kaantha' is a truly special film that rises above the limitations of a meta drama and an investigative thriller.

BY Vishal Menon
A still from 'Diés Iraé'
Interviews

Exclusive | Rahul Sadasivan Unpacks The Hidden Meanings In 'Diés Iraé'

After his third consecutive superhit, director-writer Rahul Sadasivan reveals Easter Eggs from his latest release.

BY Vishal Menon
An illustration for 'Maheshinte Prathikaram'
Insight

THR India's 25 in 25: 'Maheshinte Prathikaram' and The Comedy of Revenge

The Hollywood Reporter India picks the 25 best Indian films of the 21st century. Making the list is Dileesh Pothan's 'Maheshinte Prathikaram', a Malayalam classic that found beauty in restraint and redemption through revenge.

BY Suvigya Buch +1 More
'Kumbalangi Nights'
Insight

THR India's 25 in 25: How 'Kumbalangi Nights' Found Poetry in Imperfection and Home in Chaos

The Hollywood Reporter India picks the 25 best Indian films of the 21st century. Making the list is Madhu C. Narayanan's 'Kumbalangi Nights', arguably the single most seminal Malayalam film for the way it cultivated an audience for the industry outside of Kerala.

BY Vishal Menon
'Drishyam' 1 and 2
Insight

THR India's 25 in 25: 'Drishyam' 1 And 2 Played Out The Ultimate Game Of Deception

The Hollywood Reporter India picks the 25 best Indian films of the 21st century. In Jeethu Joseph's 'Drishyam' 1 and 2, an ordinary man goes to extraordinary lengths for his family, but these deceptively simple films hid twists no one saw coming.

BY Vishal Menon
'Angamaly Diaries'
Insight

THR India's 25 in 25: 'Angamaly Diaries' and The Pulse of Survival

The Hollywood Reporter India picks the 25 best Indian films of the 21st century. Lijo Jose Pellissery's 'Angamaly Diaries' is a film that captured raw hunger, reckless youth, and Kerala’s unfiltered pulse.

BY Vishal Menon
A still from 'Ithiri Neram'
Theatrical

'Ithiri Neram' Movie Review: Roshan Mathew and Zarin Shihab Have Sparkling Chemistry In This Night To Remember

Despite the detours, 'Ithiri Neram' leaves you feeling both the pleasures of returning to a dreamlike moment in the past and the pain that only long-lost love can make you feel, albeit for a little while.

BY Vishal Menon
aaryan-movie-2025-vishnu-vishal
Theatrical

'Aaryan' Movie Review: Long, Flabby But Engaging

'Aaryan' opens with an ending and spends the rest of its runtime searching for meaning.

BY Vishal Menon
A still from 'Diés Iraé: The Day Of Wrath'
Theatrical

'Diés Iraé' Movie Review: A Relentless, Unnerving Psychological Drama From Rahul Sadasivan

The horrors of Rahul Sadasivan’s work go beyond jump scares and camera tricks, taking you to places in your head you never wanted to go to.

BY Vishal Menon
A still from 'Nellikkampoyil Night Riders'
Theatrical

'Nellikkampoyil Night Riders' Movie Review: The Mathew Thomas Film Tries To Mask Obviousness With Quirkiness 

It’s a thin plotline that could only have been saved in execution. Director Noufal Abdullah tries his best to create the illusion of a mysterious village, but there’s only so much he can do.

BY Vishal Menon